Ladder.



T. G. PROUTY.

LADDER.

APPLICATION FILED mm: 15, 190B.

Patented Dec. 22, 1908.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THEODORE O. PROUTY, OF AURORA, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO WILOOX MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF AURORA, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

LADDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 15, 1908.

Patented Dec. 22, 1908.

Serial No. 438,627.

'To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THEODORE C. PROUTY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Aurora, in the county of Kane, State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ladders, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to improvements in ladders and more especially to ladders designed for indoor use, such, for example, as in stores and shops where a ladder is to be movably mounted in roximity to rows of shelving. It is essentlal that such ladders shall be light and strong and it is desirable that their steps shall be adjustable nearer to or farther from each other and that they shall also be capable of being adjusted to and held in a horizontal position regardless of the angle at which the ladder shall be placed.

It is the object of my invention to provide a construction possessing these advantageous qualities and I accomplish it by constructing each of the side bars of the ladder of a piece of slotted tubing, the slots in the bars lying directly opposite each other, intowhich slots step-retaining devices are adj ustably secured.

What I claim as new will be set forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings :-Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved ladder in position for use. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail, being a vertical section through one of the side bars and one of the steps, the section being taken at line 22 of Fig. 3, the retailiing bolt and nut being shown in elevation. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail, being a horizontal section taken at line 3-3 of Fig. 2, the retaining bolt and nut, as in Fig. 2, being shown in elevation. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail, being a perspective view of a portion of one of the novel side bars.

Referring to the several figures of the draw ings in which corresponding parts are indicated by like reference characters':-55 indicate the two side-bars of the ladder, each side-bar being constructed, as clearly shown, of a piece of tubing provided with a longitudinal slot 6, such slot in the construction shown extending from end to end of the tube. The two side-bars are arranged with relation to each other so that the said slots are directly opposite each other.

7 indicates steps, each in the construction shown formed of a single piece of heavy sheet-metal having its ends turned to form vertical ears 8 which fit against the inner and slotted portions of the side-bars 5. If desired, the several steps 7 may be provided on their upper faces with a wood, rubber, or other suitable tread secured thereto. Each ear 8 is provided with a hole through which passes a heavy bolt 9, that projects from the adjacent side-bar 5, through the longitudinal slot in such side-bar, the head of the bolt being a flaring or conical one, as shown, so as to approximately fit the curved inner face of the tube.

10 indicates a nut screwed onto the projecting end of each bolt 9.

11 (see Figs. 2 and 3) indicates washers between the nut and the ear 8 of each step.

I do not confine the use of my ladder to any particular form or style of sustaining or supporting devices, as it is evident that it can be used with various constructions. I11 the drawin I have shown it provided at its upper end with ordinary rollers 12 that bear upon a comparatively light guide-rod 13, and at the lower end the ladder is equipped \filvitll wheels 14 adapted to run upon the cor.

With a ladder having its side-bars formed of slotted tubes, as shown, not only is a very strong, durable and light structure provided, but one which can be readily and cheaply manufactured. Another and very important advantage pertaining to this construction is that the ladder can be ship ed in a knock-down condition and so storec until desired for use, thus effecting a considerable economy in shipping and storing space, and it can be readily put together by the purchaser with the aid only of a wrench for tightening up the nuts 10, and when being put together can have the steps placed at any desired distance apart and at the correct angle to the side bars to bring them to a substantially horizontal position, regardless of the angle at which the ladder as a whole is to stand with respect to the shelving or wall that it is placed in proximity to.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A ladder comprising side-bars formed of slotted tubes, and steps secured to said side-bars.

2. A ladder comprising side-bars formed of tubes slotted from end to end and steps secured to said side-bars.

3. In a ladder, the combination with longitudinally-slotted tubular side-bars, of steps, and step-securing means extending into said slotted side-bars.

4;. In a ladder, the combination with tubu lar side-bars, each provided With a slot, of a step, and means for securing the step to the side-bars, said step-securing means extending into said slots.

5. In a ladder, the combination with longitudinally-slotted tubular side-bars, of rotatably-adjustable steps, and step-securing means extending into said slotted sidebars.

6. In a ladder, the combination With longitudinally-s10tted tubular side-bars, of

steps and step-securing means extending into said slotted side-bars, said step-securing 20 111169119 being adjustable up and down in said s ots.

7. In a ladder, the combination with longitudinally-slotted tubular side-bars, of steps, bolts passing through said steps and 2 into said slotted side-bars, and means for holding said bolts in place.

8. In a ladder, the combination With slotted side-bars, of steps having vertical ears at their ends lying against the slotted 3o portions of said side-bars, bolts passing through the slots in said side-bars and through said ears and means for securing said bolts in place.

v THEODORE C. PROUTY.

Witnesses THEODORE Wononsrnn, J. 0. JAMES. 

